After A War

by @oddbod · @mikedebenham

After A War
oddbod +1
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Liner Notes

@oddbod - I sent Mike a music sketch and he more than reciprocated with one of his poignant lyrical novellas followed by a lovely vocal performance.
For anyone interested, piano is the Dusty Felt which you can get free here - https://somervillesounds.com/dustyfelts/

@mikedebenham - When you're handed a beautiful melody and chords, the words come pretty easily. Cheers Tim. Love all the finishing touches. (I still think this would have been great with you singing.)

#folk #acoustic

Lyrics

he stepped out of the train
and with the smallest of smiles
he stepped into her arms

it started to rain
he thought of all he could say
they walked home to the farm

after a war
we tend to the fields
it can take years
for the land to be healed

'i have seen things
things i'd give all of my soul
not to have seen, my dear eileen'

she read the note
found him outside on his knees
planting seeds
in the dark

after a war
we take care of the land
he takes his time and she takes his hand

Comments

[avatar]
@adforperu
The two titans come together once more! Perfectly placed lyrics, they say so much without so many words. The chilled waltz feel is just wonderful. Beautifully done, chaps. I would never dare make something so stripped back and quiet!
[avatar]
@philnorman
My paternal grandfather graduated from West Point (the US Army Military Academy) on D-Day, and as a newly commissioned officer was promptly shipped off to Normandy. He lost his leg to a mine and was a POW, and never had the military career his wife dreamed of. His leg was the obvious wound.

My maternal grandfather was in the navy, and survived his ship catching fire and sinking during the Normandy invasion. His lungs were never the same. He passed when I was young, but I remember him out in his garden.

This song has my heart opened wide. What a stunning portrait you've painted with such brevity. Why do the rich men who do not fight in the wars never understand these stories?

This is a magical co-write. Your individual contributions combine to a much grander whole. The nostalgic musical vibe is exactly what I search for in my random playlists of big band era jazz and folk songs, I want whole albums of this. Thank you, gents.
[avatar]
@ayais
You two are lodestars for me. Thank you for this wonderful moment with him and eileen.
[avatar]
@paulhenry
Precious gem. Wow you guys. What a team. How did you decide who will sing, because, as Mike points out, either of your voices would be suitable for this song. It does make me curious. . . .

That being said, this is such a sweet and poignant comination of musical interplay between the the voice and guitar and piano, the lilting melody with the slight stabs of minor that are subsumed by the major, the peace, after a war. That and the amount of story you pack into so few lines. Masterful.
[avatar]
@siebass
Whirly disc noise is a nice touch on the playback, giving it that old-timey feel. I may check out that piano, that is also a nice light touch. Almost a Spanish vibe to this progression, very lovely lilt with piano supported by the staccato guitar chords. The disc noise keeps me alert throughout and always a little off kilter.

Vocal fits just right in here, really great word painting, image of a woman standing in a lit doorway while a war-ravaged soldier plants seeds obsessively in the dark, and yet, the song feels hopeful and home-like, such as rebuilding after a war. Great job to both of you!
[avatar]
@stephenwordsmith
Gorgeous music. Gentle and tender, with just a hint of world-weariness. A lullaby with a cautionary tale in its blood. The instrumental in particular is sublime.

Lyrically, so wise in its sparseness. It's almost a koan. The wording of the note and the final line are just... inimitably good.

It's a joy to see two FAWMers working together, and have the result speak fully to the skill of both.
[avatar]
@richardmasters
What a perfect gem of a song, beautiful music, beautiful words - the delicacy of the arrangement is sublime.
[avatar]
@liz561
It was such a lovely beguiling melody and a tender story told in such precious fashion. It conjured a movie in my mind.
[avatar]
@coolparadiso Mod
I love the structure the phrasing and the story flow! But technique aside it’s a skill to make it sound as lovely as this! It’s such a touching song, many of us have seen the aftermath on people! This says as much as you want to take from it!
[avatar]
@beacon
Elegant is the word that comes up hearing this. This is also a connection to my life: My grandfather was 73 when I was born, and died when I was 19. He would occasionally say to me "I'll tell you about my time in France when you're grown up." I'm assuming he had a wild time. I found out after he died that he was a machine gunner in World War I in some of the worst battles of the war just at the end. He probably shot down hundreds of the enemy. I can see where that would really damage a person.
[avatar]
@billwhite51
novella is right. in just a few snapshots, we get a panorama that keeps getting larger and deeper. the held notes in the middles of lines give a sense of one losing ones balance while taking these small steps from the battlefieled to the garden. the waltz time here lacks the fluidity of the dance but instead indicates the tentative stumbling of the war veteran as he tries to find his footing. a very touching song executed with precision and skill.
[avatar]
@leepat
I was waiting for this and I’m taking it all in - with the smaaallest of smiles (and possibly tears) - thank you both for this moment out if time!
[avatar]
@pcob1993
Goosebumps at the singing... fabulous, just fabulous...I love the waltzing guitar and the odd chords....
and the lyrics are wonderful.. timeless...
thank you sooo much, you've made my week...
Pearse
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